As Finngarth looks through the books and organizes them he finds among the books here an old papyrus scroll. Looking at it he sees what appears to be magical writing. He does not however find any more information about the trial.
Kanna browses the books, not looking for anything in particular.
Finngarth looks at Volta in dismay, but keeps his voice lowered. "This Malgrim is a big player, eh? And you think he knows more about the trial than he is letting on? If a civilization cannot rest on the rule of law then commerce has no place in it. We must find out how Malgrim threw the case and what can be done to put things to right. Abadar's chosen will aid thee in putting this lawbreaker in his place. Any suggestions?"
Finding what looks like magical writing, Finngarth casts Read Magic on himself and peruses the paper more to see if he can, in fact, parse what the scroll says.
Groff, looking torn from his oddly inactive state says in a gruff voice "Milady, there's no obvious threats in here, and if we're going to get out we need to know more. I should go with those investigating. "
As Finngarth reads the scroll he sees that while he can not use the scroll he does find that it contains light, mage armor, magic missile, and shield spells on it. Nothing else of use is found in this chamber.
Patrissa smiles at Groff and says "Of course. The quicker we are out of here the better. Just make sure that if something happens you come back to me, my dear."
"Yes, of course. Don't want nothing to happen to you milady" he responds as he heads off to find out what is going on.
Volta replies to Finngarth, "Not in any detail, more people should be warned but many don't take me seriously because of my less advanced years. To be truthful, I have nothing to go on except my gut and careful observation of people, Malgrim in case of point. Not very convincing. Maybe you can be more persuasive at getting people ready to back each other up."
Volta takes a last look around the library to see if anything was overlooked.
Anything else of note about? +1 if it's a trap.
Louder Volta says, "I not all that familiar with courts, is there a separate room where they keep - what you call it? Court scrolls or something like that. Records of the trial itself may help."
Volta has one last look at the room and finds nothing of note.
Seldion hears nothing as he stands outside the door.
Seeing that the scroll only has arcane magical writing on it, Finngarth rolls it back up and brings it to Seldion who is listening at the next door. when the elf is done trying to listen, Finngarth shows him the scroll and the spells it contains.
"This type of magic I am not trained to use," the dwarf says with a sad shake of his head. "But perhaps your training will permit you to learn or cast these spells. If not, we can always sell it as Abadar smiles on commerce. Take it in the meantime."
Finngarth stands beside him as the wizard readies to open the door across the grand hall.
Volta comes up and joins Seldion at the door. "Let me check out the door, I doubt there is a problem but best to be sure."
Volta will open the door and check out what's inside, if reasonably safe to do so.
Is there a trap in or around the door?
If trapped or locked then
.
To see if there is anything about I should know about.
As he enters the room and sees everyone reading Groff exclaims "Still nothing eh?"
Volta finds nothing untoward about the door and opens it. This lavish room of cold marble is festooned with a large but mangy polar bear-skin rug and an ornate desk of darkwood carved with an odd motif of cherubs grappling with vipers. Behind the desk in a high-backed leather chair rests a skeleton in judge’s regalia, a long white beard still draped down the front of his robes. A rusted iron spiked chain still dangles from around the neck of the skeleton. Near the desk lays the desiccated skeleton of a large dog, a few of its ribs broken and its skull cracked.
Volta, Finngarth and Seldion enter the room and start searching. Just when Groff says "nothing" the bones on the floor start to stir and the "dog" begins moving to the attack.
Seldion was unable to read the scroll.
Volta up, then the dog, then everyone else.
Volta looks about with growing horror as the dead rise, he draws his blade and assumes a fully defensive stance. "The dead, they're walking! To arms, brave warriors! Good cleric can you summon the aid of your god? I'll be here or over there, maybe." Volta wildly looks about the room for hiding places, cover, or anything that he can climb to be out of the reach of these creatures. He's no warrior after all.
The "dog" moves his head to watch the skinny rogue climb on the furniture and eyes Seldion and pauses his gaze at Finngarth but his stare settles on Groff.
The "dog" charges Groff and and takes a small chunk of flesh from his leg.
Party up.
Finngarth grimaces when he spies the skeltal dog. "Undead are a bane to civilization. Abadar give me the power to smite this abomination!"
He grasps his holy symbol and invokes the power of positive energy to unmake the lifless dog.
The skeletal dog seems to shrink into itself and barks loudly and growls at Finngarth as he takes the full brunt of his god's power.
"Grrr. " he grunts at being bitten.
then he smashes the damned thing with his steel ball on a chain.
bludgeoning
Groff smashes the dog defending it's owner for the last time as it's bones scatter across the floor. The room is now quiet.
Hearing the commotion from the other courtroom the rest of the people gather outside to see what is going on. Sir Rekkart is the first on the scene and asks "What's going on? What happened here?"
Sir Rekkart gasps and says "That is evil indeed. Who could have created this monsters?"
Volta goes back to the group putting his blade away. "This place seems full of horror, which again begs the question who kidnapped us and brought us here. Not the work of the dead, I don't think spirits do elaborate plans but anyone that could do that could easily have cleared this place of something like this. Why not? This is all passing strange."
Volta goes about professionally searching the room for anything of interest or use.
To see if there is anything about I should know about. +1 if a trap.
As Volta searches the desk he finds a few items of interest; first is a gilded masterwork dagger resting in an ornate emerald-and-silver
sheath. In another drawer he finds three small flasks containing different liquids. On the desk among the detritus there he finds a partial letter.
Volta gingerly goes about the room, looking for anything unusual, he finds a lovely dagger in a noble sheath which he sets on the desk, along with the three small flasks. He's about to read the letter when something about the chain around the judge's neck catches his eye. He takes the letter but instead of reading it, he goes over to Finngarth and, after checking about to see that there is no Malgrim here, he quietly says to him, "Take a look at the chain around the Judge's neck, looks just like the chain around Malgrim's body doesn't it?
He reads the letter.
Finngarth looks at Sir Rekkert and explains, "Not all undead are created by necromancers or evil-doers. Powerful magic can bind someone to service even after life has ended, especially if they left a task undone or an sworn oath unfulfilled. It is possible or dog here was so loyal to his master that he stayed in his service even after his natural life ended. We have perhaps released him to eternal rest now."
As Volta reads the letter and points out the spiked chain, Finngarth has to admit he agrees with the circumstantial evidence about the spiked chain. They look very much the same.
When Volta finishes reading, Finngarth casts a divination spell on the liquids to determine if they have magical properties.
Finngarth looks at the three vials with his arcanely enhanced vision and sees that all three are magical, those are the only magical things he divines though.
Volta tries to find improved lighting so he can read the faint lines of script.
She notices the similarities between Malgrim's belt and the judge's chain but says nothing of it. "Can you read the letter?" she asks Volta.
"Finngarth, I can only assume you were divining magical properties. What is the verdict?"
Volta tries to find improved lighting so he can read the faint lines of script.
"Yes," says Finngarth indicating the liquids. "They are magical. I don't have the skill to identify them without tasting, and while that is possible, it can also be dangerous. I assume Seldion may have training in identifying magical items where I am not."
Volta's eyes widen at the words written, the strongest evidence yet of misdeeds and injustice. He looks about for Malgrim again to be sure he hasn't come to check up on them. If clear he signals the others to gather about and indicates they should read the letter for themselves. He retells his unsupported suspicions about Malgrim to the others in the room, saying the same stuff as he did before to Finngarth.
Is Malgrim where I don't want him?
"OK, I'm not subtle. Do I beat him down?"
As discussion about Malgrim's guilt continues the clock in the hall strikes seven. You hear the door to the courtroom slam shut followed shortly by a blood curdling scream. Malgrim is nowhere to be seen and the others all look frightened as they look at the door he disappeared into where you all woke up.
Fearing for his mistress, Groff rushes back into the courtroom to see what happened.
Groff rushes back to the hall and sees Patrissia next to Sir Rekkart in the main hall looking at the door Malgrim went to. A harsh staccato whisper builds to the rasping croak of a strangled man that echoes through the entire courthouse. Malgrim screams frantically over the horrid sound. “No! Get away from me! You’re dead! I saw you swing! No!” The jangling of a chain and wet gurgling follow. Then all goes silent. The door to the courtroom creaks open.
Volta says to Groff, "No the evidence is suggestive, not conclusive, he may have some guilt but this is not enough. There could be other explain-"
Volta breaks off as a scream echos through the halls. As Groff dashes off Volta follows, catching the last of the horror ensuing.
"This is not good, an unstoppable vengeful spirit that kills with little evidence. Tis likely none of us, innocent or guilty will survive this torture." Volta is getting morose again.
"Are you well Milady?" he asks Patrissa.
|
"well that was sort of conclusive I''d think, sounds like he set the hangman up what with the gurgling and the partial letter. And yes Finngarth, I can probably find out more about the flasks, but not until tomorrow morning." ::if I cast detect magic 0 level spell anything else in the room register as Magical?
With the door to the courtroom opening again, Finngarth pushes his way inside to see what fate as befallen the suspected Malgrim.
Groff approaches Patrissa and finds her shaking leaning on Sir Rekkart. She stammers, "Yes...Yes, I am fine. Thank you for taking care of that skeleton. Can you please go see what happened to Malgrim."
Seldion casts detect magic and finds no other magical items in the room.
As Finngarth enters the courtroom he sees Malgrim hanging from the rafters by his own spiked chain, quite dead, his blood pooling on the floor beneath his swinging boots.
"Yes milady. " and he heads off to witness the gruesome scene.
"Doubt it's suicide. " he mutters to nobody in particular.
Kanna enters the room cautiously and, catching sight of the deceased Malgrim, approaches the body. "Perhaps we should get him down?" she suggests.
Volta gives himself a shake and says to the lady with a bow, "Yes, m'lady we should indeed. I'll see about doing it."
Volta finds his way up to the rafters.
Get up to the body.
Look at how he was hanged, see that his is actually hanged, and see if any signs are there that it was the work of something not a spirit.
Get the body free and let down as easy as possible.
Volta nimbly gets up into the rafters and looks at scene from above. He can't really tell how the body got up here though he can tell he was hung with his own spiked chain. With the help of the others Volta quickly and easily lowers the body down.